Heidi Klum is basically the only person on Earth who treats October 31st like a high-stakes Olympic sport. Most of us just slap on some cat ears or a cheap wig, but Heidi? She spends a literal year of her life—and probably a small fortune—turning herself into things that shouldn't actually exist in the real world.
Last Halloween, she hit a new level of "how is she even doing that?" when she showed up to her annual bash at the Hard Rock Hotel in New York as a hyper-realistic version of E.T. from the 1982 Spielberg classic. Honestly, it wasn't just a costume. It was a 3D-printed, animatronic feat of engineering that looked like it crawled right out of a dusty VHS tape.
What Really Happened With the Heidi Klum as ET Transformation
If you saw the photos, you probably noticed something kinda trippy. Heidi's head wasn't where the alien's head was. To pull off those weird, squat proportions of the original movie puppet, her actual face was hidden inside the alien's neck.
Think about that for a second.
She spent seven hours in the makeup chair just to have her face glued into a neck flap. Her husband, Tom Kaulitz, was right there with her, also dressed as the "naked" version of the alien. Heidi, being Heidi, went for the "drag" version of the character—you know, the scene where Drew Barrymore’s character, Gertie, dresses E.T. up in a blonde wig, a flowery hat, and a fur stole.
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The Tech Behind the Magic
This wasn't some store-bought latex suit. Mike Marino and his team at Prosthetic Renaissance (the same guys who did the Penguin's makeup for Colin Farrell) started planning this thing in November of the previous year. They used:
- Digital body scans of Heidi and Tom to ensure a "perfect" (if uncomfortable) fit.
- 3D-printed sculptures that were then molded into foam latex.
- Internal Spandex reinforcement because foam latex is surprisingly fragile.
- Full animatronics—remotely operated eyes and mouths that could blink and "speak."
The Physical Toll Nobody Talks About
We see the red carpet photos and think it's all glamour and fun. It's not. Heidi has been very open about the fact that the Heidi Klum as ET look was a total nightmare to wear.
Because the motorized head was perched on top of her own head, it was incredibly heavy. She told Jimmy Fallon later that she honestly thought her neck was going to "snap off" from the weight. There’s no turning your head in a suit like that; if she wanted to look at someone, she had to rotate her entire torso like a tank turret.
Then there’s the bathroom situation. You’ve probably heard the rumors, and yeah, they’re true: she wore a diaper. When you’re zipped into a seamless foam suit that took seven hours to apply with K-Y Jelly and airbrushing, you don’t just "pop out" for a quick break.
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Why the ET Look Matters for 2026 and Beyond
A lot of people asked, "Why E.T. now?" For Heidi, it was pure nostalgia. She was nine years old when the movie came out in Germany, and it was her first real introduction to the idea of life on other planets.
But it also signaled a shift in her Halloween strategy. In the early 2000s, she did "sexy" versions of things—Lady Godiva, Betty Boop. Then she went through a "scary/weird" phase like the skinless body or the giant worm. Heidi Klum as ET was different because it was a masterpiece of technical scale and puppetry.
Quick Facts on the 2024 Reveal
- Preparation Time: 7 hours on the day of; 1 year in development.
- The Team: 30 FX artists worked on the pieces.
- The Reveal: She and Tom emerged through a cloud of smoke at the Hard Rock Hotel.
- The Competition: Interestingly, Janelle Monáe also went as E.T. the same year, sparking a "who wore it best" debate, though both stars were super supportive of each other.
Lessons from the Queen of Halloween
If you're planning your own elaborate transformation—maybe not with a $100k budget, but something more than a bedsheet—take a page from Heidi's book.
First, comfort is a lie. If you want to look truly unrecognizable, you're going to be hot, claustrophobic, and probably a little bit miserable. Second, lighting is everything. Part of why the E.T. suit looked so real was the glowing fingertip and the specific way the red carpet was elevated to hide her human feet.
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If you want to emulate the "Heidi style" without the movie-star budget, focus on the eyes. Use high-quality sclera lenses and focus on blending your prosthetics with makeup rather than just sticking them on.
She's already teasing her next look, which she describes as "extra ugly" and "super scary." Based on the 3D molds she’s been posting on Instagram, we’re looking at another year of her pushing the boundaries of what's possible with a bit of glue and a lot of patience.
To stay ahead of the curve for your own event, start your mood board at least six months out. Scour FX forums instead of Pinterest for the real technical secrets on how to make foam latex move like real skin. It’s a lot of work, but as Heidi proves every year, the payoff is legendary.